Pegylated interferon lambda works as well as pegylated interferon alfa for treating chronic hepatitis C, but with fewer side effects, according to studies presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2012) last month in Boston. Researchers also reported the first data on interferon lambda in combination with direct-acting antivirals.

Intensifying entecavir (Baraclude) treatment for hepatitis B by adding pegylated interferon lowers HBV viral load and increases the likelihood of hepatitis B "e" antigen (HBeAg) loss, according to a report at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2012) last month in Boston. A related study found that hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels during treatment can be used to predict response to interferon.

Adding the recently approved hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitors boceprevir (Victrelis) or telaprevir (Incivek) to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin can shorten the course of treatment and increase the likelihood of a cure, but can also lead to more adverse events. Fortunately, side effects are typically mild-to-moderate and usually can be managed without stopping therapy, according to a recent review.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new indication for eltrombopag (Promacta or Revolade), supporting its use for management of thrombocytopenia, or low platelet count, in people with chronic hepatitis C, GlaxoSmithKline announced last week.

HIV/HCV coinfected people who drink at least 3 cups of coffee daily were less likely to experienced adverse events related to interferon-based therapy for hepatitis C, according to a French study presented at the 10th AIDS Impact Conference last month in Santa Fe. However, whether coffee somehow directly relieves side effects remains unknown.

The experimental thrombopoietin receptor agonist avatrombopag (E5501) effectively increased platelet counts in patients with chronic liver disease enough to enable them to safely undergo scheduled surgeries, according to data presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2012) this month in Boston.

Package information for Intron-A conventional interferon and PegIntron pegylated interferon were updated with a warning that people with psychiatric and substance use disorders may experience worse symptoms.

Chronic hepatitis C patients being treated with boceprevir (Victrelis) plus pegylated interferon and ribavirin can effectively manage drug-induced anemia, either by ribavirin dose reduction or addition of erythropoietin (EPO), without compromising treatment effectiveness, according to a presentation at theAmerican Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2012) this week in Boston.

Hepatitis C patients who develop anemia during treatment with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin are more likely to achieve a sustained virological response (SVR), according to data from the IDEAL trial published in the November 2010 issue of Gastroenterology. Both ribavirin dose reduction -- which did not decrease SVR -- and medications that stimulate red blood cell production may be used to manage anemia and help people stay on treatment, the study authors concluded.

A key to decreasing HIV risk among Asian Pacific sex workers lies in eradicating stigmatizing laws, according to a report released this month by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The report explores various barriers affecting the ability of sex workers to make sexual health decisions such as the use of condoms as evidence of prostitution, denial of identity documents, and lack of labor rights.

Use of adjuvant medications such as hormones that stimulate red and white blood cell production allowed chronic hepatitis C patients receiving pegylated interferon plus ribavirin to stay on treatment longer and increased their likelihood of achieving sustained virological response, according to a study published in the April 1, 2010 Journal of Viral Hepatitis.

Life-threatening infections occur frequently among people with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection during treatment with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin, but this does not appear to be a consequence of neutropenia, or loss of white blood cells, according to a poster presented at the 52nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC 2012) this month on San Francisco.

Chronic hepatitis C patients age 65 or older may experience more adverse events and have a higher rate of treatment discontinuation than late middle-aged people when using pegylated interferon plus ribavirin, according to a study from Taiwan published in the March 1, 2010 Journal of Infectious Diseases. Nevertheless, half of older patients with HCV genotype 1 and nearly 80% of those with genotypes 2 or 3 achieved sustained virological response.

Taking the antidepressant escitalopram (Lexapro) prior to starting hepatitis C treatment with pegylated interferon reduced the likelihood of depression as well as its severity if it did occur, according to a study described in the July 17, 2012, Annals of Internal Medicine.

Thrombocytopenia, or low platelet count, can lead to easy bruising and prolonged bleeding. People with advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis often develop thrombocytopenia, and it can also be a side effect of interferon alfa therapy. For this reason, patients with pre-existing thrombocytopenia are typically advised not to use interferon-based therapy for hepatitis C, even though they may be the ones who need treatment most urgently.